Drug addiction is taking over the country very quickly. With more than 72,000 overdoses in 2017, in the United States alone, people need to take action to do their part to overcome the addiction epidemic. People often make the mistake of thinking that there’s nothing that they can directly do to make a difference, but there is.
You don’t have to be a former addict or know an addict in order to make a change in your community. Addiction recovery in Auburn, AL is more important than ever because the addiction rates are increasing rapidly each day. Learn more about steps you can take to attack the addiction battle in your community head on in the guide that follows.
Become a Foster Parent
With addiction taking over many areas of Alabama, the need for foster parents is monumental. When parents become addicted to drugs, they aren’t able to give their children the support and care that they need. This often leads to the children being removed from the household, so that they can be placed in a stable, supportive environment.
Becoming foster parents allows you to give children the opportunity to thrive, even when they can’t be with their biological parents. They can learn how to live a normal life and you can help them adjust to a daily life that may be new to them based on the experiences with their parents.
There are stipulations that must be met to become a foster parent though. Once you go through the application and interview process, you can find out if you’re a good fit as a foster parent and start making a difference in a child’s life right away.
Participate in the End Heroin Bham Walk at Railroad Park
The End Heroin Bham Walk at Railroad Park is a fundraising event that takes place in February of each year. The fundraiser allows people within the community to raise money to help pay for the addiction recovery that addicts in the area need in order to overcome their addiction.
The walk isn’t difficult and doesn’t take long to complete. There are people from all different walks of life who are able to complete it, so as long as you don’t have any major medical ailments, you should be able to complete it too.
The walk allows you to have friends, family or even coworkers sponsor you for the walk. You then get to walk beside family members who are supporting former or current addicts, those who have overcome addiction and even individuals who have lost loved ones to a drug overdose. The walk allows you to connect with people in a new way and to see exactly how much the community can come together for a great cause.
Donate to the Foundry Ministries
The Foundry Ministries is a local organization that helps men, women and children get the food they desperately need. The ministry specializes in addiction recovery and helps addicts not only get the sustenance hat they need, but also learn how to better themselves for a better future.
The organization is in need of donations in many different forms. They need volunteers to donate their time to prepare and package food, help with addiction recovery and provide caring attention to those in need. They need donations of food and hygiene products to give to those who come to them for help and financial donations to keep the day to day operations running efficiently.
Many of the people who come to The Foundry have little to no money to their name. Being able to get the care they need would be nearly impossible if there weren’t donations made to help support the financial costs associated with addiction recovery.
Donate to the Will Bright Foundation
The Will Bright Foundation is a nonprofit organization in Alabama that’s taking the time to help addicts reacclimate to society in a realistic way. A huge issue that many addicts have when they leave a rehab facility is that they haven’t had a chance to put the skills they learned into practice before being thrown back into the real world. It can be hard to stick with the things that they learned, and many end up relapsing because they weren’t prepared for what life had to throw at them.
The Will Bright Foundation allows addicts to hold real jobs before going out on their own. They learn life skills they may have forgotten or never learned in the past. The foundation relies solely on donations from the community to provide the life changing programs they offer. You can make a direct donation to the foundation to show your support or hold a fundraising event to raise money for them.
Vote for Bills that Help Addiction Recovery
You can make a huge impact on addiction recovery in Alabama by simply taking the time to vote for bills that will make a difference in the community. There are bills such as the H.R. 6 Bill that can make a huge impact on the care that addicts are able to receive.
The H.R. 6 Bill calls for funding to be provided to states who are battling an opioid epidemic, increase the focus of illegal drugs being imported into the country, and expand the treatment that is available to addicts seeking to overcome their addiction. Read about all bills that are being voted on before you hit the polls, so you can be informed about which ones you’re strongly in favor of so that you can vote accordingly.
Being able to make a difference in your community starts with one step at a time. You don’t have to give up hours of every day or a huge chunk of your paycheck to make a difference. You could simply volunteer a little here and there, donate when you can, hold fundraisers from time to time and simply offer help when you can.
